Solano County corrections group seeks Claybank jail expansion

A jail expansion and the makings of a day-reporting center for parolees under the county's supervision are two items that the Solano County Community Corrections Partnership on Wednesday unanimously agreed will go before county supervisors for final approval.

The Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) is responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors related to the state's rollout of AB 109, more commonly referred to as the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011. The members include chief probation officer, presiding judge of the superior court, sheriff, district attorney, public defender, county administrator and others.

Wednesday's meeting focused on the immediate needs related to the state's shifting of responsibility for the housing and supervision of convicted non-violent offenders and parole violators to counties.

For Sheriff Gary Stanton, that means his local jail population is trending upward.

CCP members are set to tell the Board of Supervisors that additional staffing is needed at the county's Claybank jail to open up a second 80-bed module, at a cost of about $475,000.

Only 10 months into the AB 109 rollout, sheriff's officials said that they have already exceeded projections from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which estimated the county jail would need an additional 331 beds in the first four years.

As of July 31, 37 percent of the jail population, or 348 inmates, were housed there as a result of AB 109, according to a staff report.

Most of those inmates come from Vallejo, a city still recovering from bankruptcy, where fewer bookings have resulted as there are fewer police officers on the street. But as Vallejo and other cities recover from the recession and more police officers return, the jail will be impacted even more.

"If not for that, we'd be up to the rafters in terms of our inmate population due to AB 109," he said.

Also approved by the CCP was the beginnings of a day-reporting center in Vallejo.

Solano County already has the space at its 355 Tuolumne St. location for a one-stop location where parolees under county supervision get checked in and gain access to services and counseling. The long-term plan is to open a second center in Fairfield.

Operating two day reporting centers is estimated to cost $1.6 million to $1.8 million a year. While the CCP is still working on developing a budget based on its needs, members are recommending $75,000 be allocated to begin the work needed to get the Vallejo location ready.

Other funding requests the CCP will send to supervisors is a request for $300,000 to Health and Social Services to provide substance abuse and mental health placements. The money is designated to ensure that AB 109 probationers that require intensive treatment in approved facilities are placed on a priority basis.

A recommendation will also go before supervisors to fund a position in the probation department for planning, researching and evaluating and researching AB 109 programs and services. The position would be funded for nine months at a cost of $86,250.

An extra $25,000 is being requested for additional planning related to AB 109.

In June, supervisors adopted the AB 109 2012-13 budget of $5.9 million. At their Aug. 28 meeting, they will be asked to approve a supplemental funding request of $961,165 to enact these items.

Based on SB 1020, state legislators agreed to shift a portion of sales tax revenue and vehicle license fees to fund AB 109. Solano County is estimated to receive roughly $8.7 million this fiscal year to assist the CCP with its implementation plan.

Additional information about the CCP can be found on the county's website at www.solanocounty.com under Probation Department and then under Community Corrections Partnership.